Cone crushers of this type, but also gyratory crushers have long been known from the prior art. In accordance with their intended use, the mass comminution of pieces of rock, they are exposed in a harsh environment to large loads and to correspondingly high wear. In order to be able to ensure reliable operation, the wearing parts, including in particular the crushing cone held on the cone carrier and also the mounting of the cone carrier, have to be exchanged from time to time. It is advantageous for the service life if these operations can be performed quickly in situ. Since, however, the external conditions in situ are highly uncomfortable and the personnel used for the maintenance work sometimes become impatient because of the failure-induced delay, the moves have to be able to be performed simply and without a particular outlay on tools. In particular, the use of a heavy tool should be avoided as far as possible because of the risk of damage to the crushers.
Support of the spindle within the housing, as disclosed, for example, in the prior art according to DE 1 027 042, has long proven successful. In this case, a bell-shaped eccentric bushing having a correspondingly bell-shaped crushing cone is pulled over a fixed spindle. The eccentric bushing is set into rotation by an external motor via a bevel gear and a horizontally lying drive shaft. The spindle is clamped in the housing lower part via a conical seat which has a self-locking action. For the vertical securing and for the correction of the fitted position of the spindle, it is known to use a shaft nut at the lower end of the spindle in order additionally to brace the spindle against the housing part.
However, to manufacture the conical seat surfaces on the spindle and in the housing lower part is particularly complicated because of the required precision. This applies especially to modern cone crushers in which the spindles have a length of more than one meter. To manufacture conical seats at this length is at least complicated, if not even impossible—at least to the precision required, in particular where the oil ducts running in the spindle are dependent on the precise axial positioning. Furthermore, it is difficult to remove a spindle, which is being pressed fixedly into its conical bearing by the operation, for repair. Even with the aid of pressurized oil assemblies, the release of a spindle from its conical seat is not always ensured, and therefore a heavy tool is used.